


The Best Day

by I May Age Regress (shnuffeluv), TheGriefPolice



Series: Where I Come From [2]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Birthdays, Gibbs is happy to help, Kate's a good bro, Legos, Mentions of past abuse, Minor Breakdown of a Character, Non-Sexual Age Play, Other, Tony's a good bro, mentions of diapers, stuffed animals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 18:42:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9198257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shnuffeluv/pseuds/I%20May%20Age%20Regress, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGriefPolice/pseuds/TheGriefPolice
Summary: It's DiNozzo and McGee's birthday and Gibbs has made plans! But, when a case pops up and runs longer than tought, Timmy assumes the party is off and breaks down in tears. But papa Gibbs is there to save the day and cuteness insues! Call your dentists,  readers, because you are in for a tooth-rotting treat!"The Best Day" --Tallor Swift 2008





	

DiNozzo was bouncing off the walls, more so than usual the morning of September 13th. He would range from just a slight bounce in his seat at his desk to full-on skipping down the hall. Usually, McGee would be annoyed at having to deal with the man’s antics, but truth be told, he had a grin on that was about the size of the Cheshire cat’s as well. It turned out that the two of them shared a birthday, and Gibbs had promised a small celebration at the office, followed by a proper party at home. 

 

McGee couldn’t really remember the last time he had a birthday party, let alone a good one. The disasters ranged from a few kids fighting over who got the first slice of cake and accidentally slugging him in the process, to the time he went camping with the Scouts over his birthday weekend and had accidentally found out how to identify poison oak while on his quest to find the facilities.

 

As the day wore on, DiNozzo would throw paper onto his desk, each line filled with messages like What flavor do you want the cake to be? or Do you think Kate got either of us a present? and McGee would write his response before chucking the paper back at DiNozzo, usually letting Timmy aim for the man’s head.

 

“Are you two done?” Kate asked as she walked in the room with coffee, ducking as one of McGee’s shots flew wide and to the right. “Gibbs is going to kill you if he catches you doing that.”

 

“Aw, you’re no fun, Kate,” DiNozzo said, standing up to snatch the paper ball off the floor before Kate had the chance. He opened it up, snorted, and turned to McGee. “Yes, I do think Kate would look good in a Sailor Moon outfit. Very school girl. I like your train of thought, Probie.”

 

McGee blushed. “Th-that is n-n-not what I wrote, and you know it!” he stammered.

 

Kate rolled her eyes and snatched at the paper, only to have it pulled away at the last second. “Real mature, guys.”

 

McGee stood up and rounded his desk, taking the paper out of Tony’s hands. “I did not write anything like that! I just asked Tony if he was hoping for anything in particular for his birthday!”

 

“Kate in a school girl outfit, Probie, weren’t you listening?” Tony asked, sticking his tongue in his cheek with his trademark cocky grin. “I’d kill for some pictures of that.”

 

“You better get that out of your head real quick or I'm calling Human Resources.” Kate threatened.

 

“Get your mind out of the gutter, DiNozzo,” Gibbs said as he walked in, coffee cup in hand as he rounded his desk and reached for his gun drawer. “Unless the rest of you plan to join it. We have a dead seaman in a sewage plant.”

 

“So why would Tony have to join his mind in the gutter, if they already found the body?” Kate asked as they all geared up.

 

“He’s missing a head,” Gibbs said, striding to the elevator. “Someone’s gotta hunt for it.”

 

Kate and Tony looked at each other in horror, simultaneously yelling, “Not it!”

 

“No fair!” McGee yelled, tailing behind them and towards the elevator. “You can't do that! Boss!”

 

“McGee, you're head hunting. Tony and Kate can dig for evidence.” Gibbs declared as the doors closed.

 

McGee let out a relieved sigh, thankful that, at least, he wasn’t going to be the only one literally sifting through crap. Kate and DiNozzo shot him death glares in response.

 

The crime scene turned out worse than predicted, spanning about a hundred yards of the main drain and reaching into some of the smaller ones about ten feet. Ducky was already up close and personal with the body when they arrived and was shooting off some story about a man from Paris who lived in the gutters for most of his life. Palmer was nodding along to the man’s story and taking notes here and there when Ducky would point out an injury on their victim.

 

“What've we got, Duck?” Gibbs asked, the smell of sewer muck not fading his coffee intake as he took a sip.

 

“Looks like a death most gruesome, I'm afraid. His neck is fractured as well as multiple other bones, and there is too much dirt around the hemorrhaging to really get a clear picture. Not to mention the missing head.”

 

There was a yelp a couple yards away as McGee slipped and fell in a puddle of he’d-really-rather-not-know-what, and came face to eye socket with their half-decomposed, missing head. DiNozzo snickered as McGee let out a startled shriek.

 

All eyes turned to the new agent as he quickly backed away and got back to his feet. “Uh, sorry boss. I think I found the head, though.”

 

“Well what're you doing just standing around?” Gibbs asked the people still goggling McGee. “Bag and tag, let's get this body to a place where we can find out what happened!”

 

A fury of commotion echoed around the round concrete walls, mixing with the sound of disturbed sludge as people grabbed bags and gloves and went back to work. DiNozzo sulked a little as he went around the search perimeter looking for a murder weapon with Kate.

 

“I’m glad we found the body so we can get this guy home, don’t get me wrong,” Tony said, glancing at her. “It just kinda sucks for it to happen on my birthday, you know? I was looking forward to going home tonight.”

 

“Stop your complaining.” McGee said as he rubbed something off the front of his shirt. “At least you're not swimming in it.”

 

“Grouchy Probie. Who napped in the van and woke up on the wrong side of the evidence bags, huh?”

 

“Screw you, Tony,” McGee growled under his breath.

 

Tony cocked his head to the side and took a step toward the younger agent. “Care to repeat that little comment, Probie?”

 

“Quit it, both of you! Before we all get in trouble!” Kate barked at them.

 

McGee had the decency to look ashamed as he turned back to his work, but Tony barely acknowledged that he heard her with a small nod before he stalked away.

 

It took longer than they thought it would to sift through all the grossness that laid at the bottom of the sewer and pull evidence from the trash. Not to mention that the body board wouldn't fit into the hole at first, and they had to pick at the sides until it could. All the agents reeked by the time everything was said and done, and no one was in a good mood as they returned to the office--not even Gibbs.

 

“Everyone hit the showers and throw your field suits in the trash.” Gibbs said as he dropped his--thankfully still clean--gun back into its drawer.

 

The three agents nodded, following suit as they dipped off their stuff and walked toward the back elevator.

 

“Looking forward to showing off your ‘birthday suit’ Tony?” Kate teased as the elevator doors closed.

 

“Oh, you’d love to catch a glimpse, wouldn’t you, Kate?” Tony teased right back.

 

“Do you two have no shame?” McGee asked, covering his ears and pulling a face. “What happened to reporting each other to Human Resources?”

 

“Don’t you know what a joke is, McGee?” Kate asked.

 

“You know, I thought I did,” McGee said, a hint of agitation slipping into his voice. “Then I met you people and Gibbs forced me on the team!”

 

“Ah, don't get your panties all in a wad, probie.” DiNozzo slapped him on the shoulder as they rounded the corner for the showers. “You'll figure it out in time!”

 

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” McGee muttered. “Figure it out and then have no way to turn it off around normal people.”

 

“What, and we’re not normal?” DiNozzo asked, laughing.

 

McGee’s jaw clenched. Today was turning out to be his worst birthday yet. He had to dig through a sewage plant, be humiliated in front of his co-workers, throw out a perfectly good suit, and he was probably going to smell like sewage the rest of the day no matter how many showers he took. He didn’t feel like playing the fool right now. 

 

“No. I’d choose a word more like ‘insane.’”

 

DiNozzo glared at him and McGee withered under his gaze. “Choose your next words carefully, Probie,” the senior agent growled.

 

McGee took a step back as Kate reached out to put a hand on DiNozzo’s shoulder.

 

“Cut it out. You two have been going back and forth all day.” Kate said with a warning tone.

 

DiNozzo let out a hard breath of air and walked into one of the stalls, Kate following and taking the one in the middle. McGee walked into the one at the far end and closed the door, starting the long process of cleaning off.

 

“‘I recall, central park in fall…! How you tore your dress, what a mess, I confess!’” DiNozzo belted out.

 

“Hey, I’m trying to shower here!” McGee yelled through the door.

 

“Lighten up, Probie, did you learn nothing from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?” DiNozzo called back.

 

“You both are being children! Just shut up and finish fast, so Gibbs doesn’t come down here to see what’s taking so long!” Kate hollered to both of them.

 

“Oh, it’s a bit late for that piece of advice,” Gibbs’s voice came from the other side of the doors.

 

For a minute, there was only the sound of water hitting skin and tile in the room. Then DiNozzo sheepishly said, “Sorry, boss.”

 

“Just get out when you’re done,” Gibbs sighed. “You forgot your spare set of clothes, DiNozzo. Don’t let it happen again.”

 

“Oh, thought I was missing something,” DiNozzo joked.

 

“Me too. Though I was thinking what people normally have between their ears. You know, where all that hot air sits for you?” Kate quipped.

 

McGee huffed out a laugh, and DiNozzo barked a, “Probie!” loud enough to create an echo.

 

After a muttered apology, the sound of water was once again the only noticeable noise in the room. All three agents did their best to get the gunk off of them, even if the smell wasn’t going away quite as easily. Tony was the first to turn off the water, getting dressed in the clothes Gibbs brought down. 

 

He stretched and sighed. “You know, today wasn’t all bad. I don’t smell like sewer anymore, at least.”

 

“If that’s your only highlight, then I’d suggest that today was pretty crappy,” McGee said, poking his head out of the shower door and shooting a pointed look at Tony. “Do you mind?”

 

Tony rolled his eyes. “C’mon, Probie, this is like a locker room. No one cares if they see you naked.”

 

“I care,” McGee shot back. “Turn around.” With a sarcastic eye-roll he added, “Please.”

 

Tony let out a puff of air, but turned his back as he slipped on the rest of the clothes.

 

“Thank you.” McGee sighed, slightly surprised Tony actually did as he was asked.

 

“Despite what you may think, McGee, I do have a sense of decency,” DiNozzo said, words stiff as they hung in the air.

 

McGee tried to not let the words get to him as they finished up and got dressed. He could still smell the inside of a gutter slightly in the air, but, for the most part, it was gone.

 

“I can’t believe it’s already this late.” Kate said, flipping her wrist as she put on her watch to put it in the right spot.

 

“What time is it?” Gibbs asked, standing up when his loafers were securely back on his feet.

 

“Almost seven.” Kate said with a sigh.

 

McGee and DiNozzo shared a look, but neither acted on the question digging at the back of both their minds. McGee didn’t ask because no one else brought it up, and DiNozzo didn’t ask because he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

 

“Well, then I guess it’s time to go home,” Gibbs said. “You three have spent enough late nights here recently. Morrow will kill me if you get any more overtime.”

 

“I’m going home and taking another shower. Or seven,” Kate groaned, rubbing at the back of her neck as she walked out of the shower room.

 

“So long as you don’t sing during it. Your sense of pitch is a crime against humanity,” DiNozzo said, following her out.

 

McGee watched them leave, mind trying to decipher whether they meant home as in individual homes, or home as in Gibbs’s.

 

“McGee,” a voice cut through his thoughts. “Go home.”

 

Gibbs put a hand on the younger man’s shoulder and squeezed it lightly. “You deserve a break.”

 

McGee turned to look at Gibbs and nodded mutely, deciding that was that. If Gibbs were referring to his place, he would have offered to drive. He didn’t offer, so he must have expected McGee to spend his birthday alone. Again. It was too late to do anything to celebrate, he supposed, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be alone. Before he could say so, though, Gibbs was already leaving the room.

 

The Bullpen was empty by the time McGee made it back upstairs. He was not one to cry--at least, not while he was still big. But age didn’t matter right then as the reality of another birthday at home--alone--hit him. He tried to breath through the burning at the back of his eyes as he grabbed his bag and made his way to the parking garage. But tears were falling by the time he fumbled with his keys to get them into the ignition.

 

His little side had a way of popping up at bad times, but he could easily pull it in and pack it away most days. Ever since Gibbs had started pulling his little side out of the box bit-by-bit, though, it was getting harder to pack “Timmy” up and shove him into a corner to never be looked at again. It was a fight to keep his head on enough to get the car moving forward and towards home, but, soon enough, the grief of what was coming was pulling his little side to the surface. He had to pull over to the side of the road to make sure he wouldn’t crash.

 

He took out his phone, and seriously considered calling his papa, telling him to come over and fix it, but it had been made clear to him that wasn’t an option tonight.The phone screen was getting hard to see as his tears made everything blurry, and his hands were shaking too much to keep hold of the phone. All he could do was throw the phone to the side and put his head on the steering wheel. He turned off the headlights, made sure the doors were locked, and let himself cry.

 

Meanwhile, Tony and Kate were in her car, arguing over the radio station. “I am not changing the channel, Tony! You’ll just have to deal with it!” she told him, slapping his hands away from the controls.

 

Tony pouted. “But this song is yucky! I don’ wanna listen to it!”

 

“Look, we’re pulling into Dad’s anyway. Can’t you put up with it for thirty seconds while I put the car in park?!” Kate asked.

 

“No!” Tony yelled, pulling a face and turning the radio off.

 

“Oh, you are so lucky we’re at Dad’s or I would kill you,” Katie growled, putting the car in park and taking out the keys.

 

Tony stuck out his tongue and jumped out of the car, running towards the front door. He didn’t bother to knock as he ran right in. Gibbs was nearly bowled over as Tony pounced on him, wrapping his arms around the older man’s chest in a hug. “Papa! Guess whose birthday?!”

 

“Whose birthday is it, kiddo? I could have sworn that Katie’s wasn’t for another month, at least!” Gibbs teased, a smile playing at the sides of his mouth.

 

“Mine! Mine an’ Timmy’s!” Tony exclaimed, jumping up and down.

 

“I don’t think I could have forgotten if I tried.” Katie mumbled, taking a seat on the couch. “Not like he’s been saying it all day or anything.”

 

Tony let go of Gibbs, looking around the house with a frown. “Where’s Timmy?”

 

“He’s not with you two?” Gibbs asked, more so to Katie than the jumping bag of excitement in front of him.

 

Katie shook her head. “You two were the last ones in the room, I assumed you were going to offer to drive him.”

 

“He drives himself over so often I didn’t tonight. But if he’s not with you, and he’s not pulling up now…” Gibbs growled. “He probably thought we called the party off and went back to his place.”

 

“But, but we can’t have the party without him!” Tony frowned, taking a handful of his papa’s shirt and sticking a hand in his mouth.

 

“We’re not gonna, kiddo. We just have to figure out where he is and get him,” Gibbs assured, pulling out his phone and calling McGee’s on speed dial. 

 

He waited as it rang once, twice, three times, and then hit voicemail. No one picked up in the time it took to ring out, something that never happened with the young agent. He immediately dialed and tried again, hoping against hope that McGee had just gone to the bathroom, or had placed his phone on his desk and decided to not run through his apartment to get to it. No such luck, as McGee’s too-chipper voicemail hit his ears, mocking him.

 

“He’s not picking up. Something’s wrong.”

 

Tony’s grip on Gibbs’s shirt tightened as Kate stood up. “Papa…”

 

“I can track his phone. So long as it’s on, we can triangulate his location. McGee showed me a few shortcuts on how to do it last week,” Kate said, whipping out her Blackberry and typing away.

 

Tony whimpered into Gibbs’ shirt and Gibbs rubbed circles on the boy’s back to soothe him. “It’s all right, Tony. Timmy’s gonna be here soon, we just have to find out where he is. Sorta like hide-and-seek. You like playing hide-and-seek, right?”

 

“Only when the others are ‘kay,” Tony mumbled, close to tears. He wanted his brother back. What if he was hurt or someone took him and they weren’t being nice to him and--

 

Kate’s phone beeped. “Got him!” She held out the phone, showing a poorly rendered map with a blinking red dot. “It’s in the same spot, so he must not be moving.”

 

Gibbs squinted at the screen. “That’s only a couple of blocks from the Yard,” he said, his stomach doing a cartwheel. “He didn’t get far at all before… something happened.” What that something was, he didn’t want to speculate, and naming anything would only worry Tony more.

 

“What’re we doin’ here?!” Tony asked, words slightly slurred by the thumb planted firmly in his mouth. “We gotta go get ‘im!”

 

Gibbs felt a conflict arise in his mind. Did he bring Tony and Katie, or have them stay here? McGee might not be in a good state, or worse--he could be dealing with a traumatized Timmy. He didn’t want Katie and Tony seeing their brother like that, not if he could help it. But at the same time, he couldn’t leave them here, especially not if they were little. They’d try to follow him and then--well. He didn’t want to think about a seven-year-old getting behind the wheel of a car.

 

“Okay, here’s what I need. Katie, can you grab a pull-up and some really soft blankets from the closet? And then run into you room and grab one of his favorite toys? Something soft?” Gibbs asked, an idea forming in his head. 

 

From years of work with tight situations and high anxieties, he’d learned that giving someone something to concentrate on made them less likely to panic and more likely to listen. Kids especially. Something simple was all they needed and they would follow you every step of the way.

 

Katie nodded and dashed upstairs. Gibbs looked at Tony, and an idea popped in his head that might make the boy feel useful. “Tony, I need you on snacks. Find Timmy’s favorites and bring them out here, preferably still in their bags or packages. We’ll set up a makeshift safe spot in the back of the car.”

 

Tony nodded seriously and went to the kitchen, Katie running back down with 3 blankets, a pull-up, and… his sweatshirt? Gibbs would have to ask about that later. Right now he needed to make sure Timmy and McGee were still in one piece.

 

Tony was much more thorough than Gibbs had thought he’d be, even managing to remember juice boxes and a few sippy cups of milk. It was only when Tony grabbed the diaper bag that the older man realized Tony was copying what Gibbs would do if they were going somewhere.

 

“Hey, Tony, I can take care of the diaper bag and all that, sound good? You did your part wonderfully.”

 

Tony beamed at the compliment, struggling to hold the bag up and hand it to his papa. Gibbs took it and looked between his two kids. They had blankets, food, a pull-up in case of accidents, and his sweatshirt (really needed to look into that), and the diaper bag with extra supplies in case of emergencies. He couldn’t think of anything they might need other than that.

 

“Let’s go get your brother, then,” he said, moving to the door.

 

The drive, although short, seemed to drag on for hours. It didn’t help that no one was talking, making the ride more intense than before. They reached the yard and took an on-ramp towards the blinking red dot. It was so dark that they would have missed it had they not been looking at the side of the road very carefully. There was the outline of McGee’s car, but no sign of the driver.

 

Gibbs pulled over, giving strict instructions to the two kids to stay in the car and not leave no matter what. He carefully got out, running over to the side of the other car, tapping on the window. He could see the outline of McGee now, head resting against the steering wheel. His stomach sank. It looked like he was dead.

 

Without warning, McGee’s body shuddered and Gibbs realized that a) McGee wasn’t dead, and b) he wasn’t dealing with McGee as much as he was Timmy. 

 

“Timmy, open the door!” he said in his best “Papa voice.”

 

The boy froze and sat up in his car. He peered out at Gibbs incredulously, but didn’t make a sound.

 

“Timmy. The door,” Gibbs said. “I need you to unlock it, kiddo.”

 

This time, Timmy looked down at the door, then back up at Gibbs. He pointed to the lock, a question on his face.

 

“You do remember how to unlock a car, right?” Gibbs asked. Sometimes Timmy could do it himself, other times he had to wait for Gibbs. If this was one of the latter times…

 

The boy’s guilty expression was answer enough. Gibbs sighed. He had an idea on what to do to fix this, but neither of them was gonna like it. “Timmy, I’m going to try and scare big you into unlocking the door, okay? That means I’m going to yell. I don’t want to, but I have to. I’m not mad at you, okay?”

 

When Timmy nodded, Gibbs lowered his head, took a deep breath, and put on his if you don’t give me the answers I want, you scumbag, you’ll pay scowl that he usually saved for interrogations. He banged on the glass once, with all his strength, and bellowed, “Unlock the door, McGee, that’s an order!”

 

McGee turned ash white and fumbled to get the door open. As soon as it was unlocked he flung it open and nearly fell out of the car, crying out through his tears, “Sorry sorry sorry sorry!”

 

Gibbs sighed and pulled him up off the asphalt and into a hug. He wasn’t entirely sure if he was dealing with McGee or Timmy at the moment, and he didn’t blame either of them for this response. “Hey, hey, hey. It’s okay, ssh. You’re okay. Like I said, I’m not mad, all right?”

 

The poor kid was shaking like a leaf under his touch, and Gibbs inwardly gave himself a headslap. It was the best he could do on short notice, but really, he needed a better plan in the future to get any part of McGee to listen to him.

 

“Sorry… sorry sorry…” Timmy sniffled.

 

“Hey, kiddo, it’s all right. I really shouldn’t have yelled, I just needed you out here. Do you want to come back to my car? We have blankets and snacks and juice with your name on it. Tony even brought milk, and Katie brought my sweatshirt.”

 

“Sweatshirt?” Timmy asked, risking a glance at Gibbs.

 

Gibbs nodded. “Uh-huh. Want to come back with us?”

 

“But… it’s too late to have the party,” Timmy said, starting to cry again. “And I j-just w-w-want-ted to h-have a r-r-real b-birthday p-p-part-ty…”

 

“Who said it was too late to celebrate, kiddo? I didn’t offer to drive you home because you always drive yourself, not because it’s too late to celebrate two of my favorite kid’s birthdays.”

 

Timmy wrung his hands. “Oh…”

 

“It is not your fault you didn’t realize that, Timothy,” Gibbs said firmly. “It’s mine for not making it clear. Do you want to come home?”

 

Timmy nodded furiously.

 

Gibbs took Timmy’s keys out of his car and closed the door, locking the whole thing. “Then let’s go home. I can call for a tow truck for your car in the morning if we need to.”

 

Timmy let Gibbs do the leading to the car, and didn’t protest as he was gently pushed into a sitting position in the back. Gibbs felt horrible, but he was just glad his boy was okay. 

 

“Timmy!” Katie exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the younger boy. “Are you okay?”

 

Timmy wiped at his tear soaked face, looking at Katie and Tony and then at Gibbs as he got into the driver’s seat. His heart still hurt and he was tired, but, as his big sister wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and pushed one of their papa’s old sweatshirts against his chest, he thought he just might be okay.

 

He nodded his head slightly, pulling the sweatshirt closer and taking in deep breaths. They sat like that for a long time, Tony doing most of the talking to keep away the white noise. Papa handed out some snacks and listened to Tony’s long drawn-out explanation of a TV show, trying to follow along, but clearly failing. It was the familiar scene that had Timmy forgetting all about the thoughts that had gripped him not too long ago, with Katie and Papa laughing when Tony said his jaw hurt.

 

“Probably from all that yammering,” Gibbs laughed then looked over to Timmy. “I believe we still have a party to celebrate, if everyone still wants to?”

 

“Cake!” Tony yelled, a little louder than necessary as he threw his hands up.

 

“And ice cream,” Katie smiled.

 

And then, all eyes fell on Timmy, who was smiling, but had yet to say anything. He tucked his face into the sweatshirt a little bit as he said, “And presents?”

 

Gibbs smiled, reaching back and tousling his hair a bit. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes papa, we want to celebrate our birthdays.’”

 

Giggles from the back seat gave Gibbs his answer as he put the keys back into the ignition and the car roared to life. 

 

The ride back to the house was a much more joyous occasion, Tony trying to guess his gift to no avail. Timmy came out more throughout the ride, starting with only a comment here and there before he was guessing just as fast as Tony. Both boy’s excitement filled the car as they pulled into the driveway and filed toward the house. 

 

“Alright, alright, you two are driving me nuts!” Katie said, shaking her head as she walked toward the kitchen to set the diaper bag down. “Maybe I didn’t get you anything.”

 

Tony looked at her for a second, evaluating if the threat was real before shaking his head with a smile. “No! You wouldn’t do that! You like birthdays too much!”

 

Katie looked at him, crossing her arms and tilting her head up. “You sure about that, Tony?” she asked.

 

Tony faltered, his normally confident smile falling a bit. “Well, I thought I was…”

 

Timmy grinned from behind Gibbs’s sweatshirt. “I know she got one for you! She told me she got one for me, and Papa wouldn’t let her get a gift for me and not for you!”

 

Katie stuck her tongue out at Timmy. “Spoilsport.”

 

Timmy closed his eyes and stuck his tongue out back right before Gibbs whacked him lightly on the back of the head with a rolled-up newspaper that had been sitting on the kitchen table only moments before. 

 

“Hey hey hey. Not in my house, kids. Not tonight.” Gibbs warned.

 

Katie giggled before she was also met with a newspaper tap. “I expect better from you, young lady. You’re the oldest,” Gibbs pointed out as he put the newspaper down. “But because it’s a happy occasion, I’ll let it slide--just this once. Who wants dinner?”

 

Three hands popped into the air, and Gibbs smiled. “Alright then. Timmy, do you think you can get your pull-up and pajamas on by yourself? Tony, you still need to get dressed as well.”

 

Timmy puffed up his chest and grinned. “I can do it! I’m a big boy!”

 

Tony looked over at Timmy, and then at Gibbs, and reached out for his papa to pick him up. Gibbs always took this as an answer in-and-of itself--no. 

 

“All of us can go upstairs, then,” Gibbs said. “Dinner can wait for five minutes if it means there won't be any accidents tonight.”

 

Timmy blushed at the comment, but Tony was already oblivious to any shame that he might normally have at such a statement. He just made a grabby hands gesture towards his papa once more, this time adding a whine.

 

Gibbs shook his head fondly, and walked over to pick his youngest up. He nodded to Timmy. “Lead the way, kiddo.”

 

Timmy bounced on his toes and almost sprinted out of the room and up the steps, until Gibbs cleared his throat.

 

“Using an indoor, not-on-a-case speed, please,” he clarified.

 

Timmy giggled unapologetically, but walked out of the room and up the stairs to the nursery, picking out his softest, most comfortable clothes. He changed quickly in the room’s closet, too embarrassed still to let anyone see him naked unless it was his papa--and just his papa--in the room. Unless he was big, and even then he was picky about who was there.

 

When he opened the door back into the room, papa was sliding a pair of sweatpants down Tony’s legs as the young boy happily chewed on his hand.

 

Gibbs looked up when he was done, giving Timmy a smile. “All set?”

 

Timmy nodded his head, making sure his shirt was pulled down over the waistband of his pants to hide anything that may be poking out. 

 

Gibbs picked up Tony before walking over and ruffling Timmy’s hair. “You know, I think that you’re gonna be okay, kid. And you might not know what that means, especially not when you’re like this, but I think… you’re gonna be just fine.”

 

Timmy blinked at his papa before looking out of the room. “I’m hungry,” he declared. “Can we have dinner now?”

 

Gibbs chuckled. “Yeah. Let’s go downstairs and have dinner.”

 

Gibbs made quick work of Mac and cheese and chicken nuggets--a kid friendly, easy to make, easy to eat meal so that Tony could feed himself and Gibbs had time to clean up. Katie set up everything at the table before being asked to, and everyone tucked in.

 

During dinner, there were more conversation between bites of food than usual. And there was usually a lot of chatter. Tony and Timmy were talking back and forth, speculating on gifts, and figuring out before Gibbs even opened his mouth that the cake and ice cream were probably going to be postponed until tomorrow. Either as a treat at work or at home, because it was late and Papa didn’t like sugar crashes after ten pm.

 

As dinner closed, and it seemed like neither boy would be able to sit still for much longer, Gibbs caved and said, “Okay, we can do presents now!”

 

Both boys cheered, Timmy getting a little more rambunctious than strictly necessary.

 

Gibbs led the boys to the living room, and brought out one present for each of them, and one for Katie.

 

“This is more of a practical gift,” Gibbs explained, “and one that I couldn’t leave Katie out of. I have a toy or two waiting, but this comes first.”

 

All of them tore into the wrapping paper, excited to see what it was. Timmy got his open first and gasped, saying with utter glee, “It’s pajamas! And they’re soft!”

 

Tony managed to get his open next, and his eyes widened as he pulled out a shirt with a cartoon shark on the front, holding it up to his chest. “Wow,” he said, amazed. “It fits me! They're kids clothes and they fit me!” He looked up at Gibbs, tears shining in his eyes. “I didn’t think they made these!”

 

Katie opened hers and grinned from ear-to-ear, letting out an excited gasp. “These are… I just don’t know what to say, Dad! How in the world did you find these?!”

 

“Turns out, the Internet is useful for something after all,” he said with a shrug.

 

He figured each kid would be happy with his choices. For Timmy, he got a shirt that said, Go ahead and laugh at the nerds. Just remember that we can change the Wi-Fi passwords. With that, Gibbs had found pajama bottoms that featured cartoon computers dancing around a circuitry background. 

 

Tony had shark pajamas, which Gibbs wrote, We’re gonna need a bigger boat on in fabric marker with his best handwriting. It was still a little scratchy, but, unless you looked close, you wouldn't be able to tell that wasn't how it had come fresh out of the box. The shirt would easily reach down to the boy’s knees, both covering the diaper underneath and making late-night changes easier.

 

Katie’s didn’t need any modifications, though they were the hardest to find. As it turned out, adults who liked My Little Pony had a cult-like following on the internet, and some of the artsier ones created their own pajamas after the ponies they liked best. It had been a little pricey compared to the others, but worth every penny to Gibbs.

 

“Now, since you guys have your new pajamas, I think I should bring out your other presents,” Gibbs said, standing up.

 

Timmy’s eyes widened as the older man walked to the door that led to the basement and pulled out more wrapped boxes. “There’s more?” he asked in a hoarse whisper.

 

“C’mon, PJ’s are cool, but they're hardly an amazing birthday present.” Gibbs smiled as he handed Timmy a few boxes wrapped in green paper with dinosaurs running across it. He handed the blue ones to Tony, laughing as the boy took them gingerly and sat them on the floor. Gibbs took his spot on the couch once more and looked at each boy in turn.

 

Timmy looked at Tony. “D’you want to go first?” he asked.

 

Tony nodded eagerly and opened the first gift, a medium-sized box. He tore at the paper, throwing it left and right, and opened the box as soon as his fingers could get purchase on the lid. He gasped when he saw what was inside. 

 

“It’s a puppy!” he squealed happily, pulling the stuffed German Shepherd from the box. It was a medium sized toy, with it’s legs under it as if it were sitting. Brown lined the main body and the front upper legs, switching right above what would have been his knees. One ear was flipped back the wrong direction and Tony quickly corrected it. “And it’s soo soft, too!”

 

“Timmy helped me pick that one out,” Gibbs said, smiling. “He has good taste in stuffed animals.”

 

Tony hugged Timmy. “I helped get a present for you too! Open the bottom box!”

 

Timmy gave Tony a sideways glance, before gingerly taking the large box from the bottom of his stack and, running his fingers under the seam of the paper, neatly pulled out the remote-controlled car inside. It was a race car, blue with orange and yellow flames running up the sides. Every detail was precise, from the license plate on the back to the shiny hubcaps covering the tires. 

 

Timmy grinned from ear to ear. “Oh my gosh! I always wanted one of these!” He wrapped his arms around his brother and hugged Tony tightly. “Thank you!”

 

Tony grinned and hugged him back. “I’m glad you like it! I wanna see how fast it goes, maybe tonight?” He asked, looking up at Gibbs with hopeful eyes.

 

“After you open everything else, you can play with it until bed if you want,” Gibbs said. “So long as you don’t try to stay up after bedtime to play more.”

 

“Okay!” Both Tony and Timmy cheered.

 

“Alright, alright! Mine next!” Katie said, pulling out a gift for each boy and setting it in front of them.

 

Tony opened his first once more and bounced excitedly as the wrapping paper flew, revealing a Duplo set which had a zoo theme. “Cool! Legos!” he exclaimed. “And they’re the big kind, so Papa can’t say they’re too small!”

 

“Yup! And they have lots of people and animals so you don't get bored!” Katie said, pointing at the box where the whole set was laid out with everything inside.

 

“Me next!” Timmy exclaimed, ripping into the paper with a little more gusto. “What's this?” He asked as the box came into view.

 

It looked like Legos, but with longer pieces and a car shape. The words Really Moves! were plastered across the front and, as he turned the box, he could see what it really was.

 

“It's kind of like what Tony got you, but you can make it however you want! It's got gears and wheels and a controller!” Katie said. She'd done a little bit of research into each toy. Nothing but the best for her little brothers!

 

“It's a Technic set! I've seen these but I've never had one!” Timmy said, realization flashing across his face. “They're so cool!”

 

Gibbs smiled as the boys marvelled at their new gifts. “One last thing for both of you,” he said, pushing the boxes in the direction of his kids.

 

Timmy opened his last box first, revealing a spiral book inside. The title read, Silly Story Starters: The Best Writing Prompts for a Budding Author! in red lettering on an orange background. Each “page” inside was split into three sections, so you could turn to a random section and create a new story with every turn. 

 

Timmy giggled. “I’ve seen these! Sarah had something like this when she started writing! The stories it made were the best!”

 

Gibbs chuckled. “I can only imagine. Do you like it?”

 

Timmy nodded. “I can make, like, a billion stories with this! It’s gonna be so fun! Thank you!”

 

“You're welcome.” Gibbs smiled, then looked over to Tony. “Alright, last one, bud.”

 

Tony nodded, ripping into the last box. He pulled off the lid and threw it aside, looking into the box with a gasp. Inside, there sat a wooden boat finished in dark lacquer, the hull painted underneath a vibrant red, that Tony recognized from its sailing on a blue-green coloring page he had finished close to two and a half years ago now.

 

“It’s not the big boat I know you had in mind when you colored that page all those years ago during your kidnapping, but when you gave it to me, I knew that, someday, I had to make that boat a reality, and this is at least the model of the finished product. It’s your boat as much as mine, Tony.”

 

Tony felt his eyes burn slightly as they pooled and tears fell. It took him a second to realize that his face was wet and wiped it away, holding the boat close. After a moment, he stood up and ran across the room, wrapping his papa in a big bear hug with the boat still in hand.

 

“Thank you,” he whispered through tears. “For everything. Thank you.”

 

“Believe me, Tony, there is nothing I would rather do,” Gibbs said, voice only a step away from a whisper as he hugged Tony back. 

 

Once the boy had gathered some form of composure, he stepped back and clapped his hands together. “Should I go get the scissors so we can open those gifts of yours, Timmy?”

 

Timmy nodded eagerly. “I want to see how fast the new cars can go! But I think that I don’t have the time to build the Technic tonight, so maybe I could just start with the RC that’s already built?”

 

“Yeah!” Tony said, digging through paper until he found what he was looking for. “And Jethro can be the dinosaur you have to outrun!”

 

“Jethro?” Gibbs asked from the couch with a skeptical look in his eye.

 

“Like papa!” Tony smiled.

 

“Uh, try a different name, kiddo,” Gibbs said, crossing his arms.

 

“Kate, then?” Tony asked. Timmy stifled giggles at that suggestion.

 

“Tony, don't you dare.” Katie threatened from across the room.

 

“Too late! Her name’s Kate!” Tony smiled wickedly. “Payback.”

 

Timmy burst into hysterics which turned into startled shrieks as Katie raced across the room and tickled him.

 

The rest of the night ended fairly calm, with Timmy running the car until the battery light came on and they had to plug it in. Tony was rubbing at his eyes long before that, but Gibbs let him play until the car ran out and then it was bed time. Timmy only protested a little before his papa reminded him about the rules around his new toy, and then he willingly--albeit, sullenly--went to bed.

 

Tony was half asleep when Gibbs lifted him off the floor, and, with the boy’s head on the older man’s shoulder, they went upstairs. Katie followed closely, holding Tony’s new dog so she could put it with him in bed.

 

Once everyone was settled in, Gibbs wished them one last good night, and flipped the switch. The room went dark, save for the night light on the far wall that threw stars onto the ceiling.

 

Gibbs went to bed himself soon after, sleeping easy with the knowledge that his kids were just 10 feet away, safe from harm… and a sugar crash (for the time being, at any rate).


End file.
